Sep 28, 2015, 1:34 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
FAQ: Late Arrival Standby Policy ("Flat Rire Rule")
Not a published publicly viewable "rule", allows some missing flight to standby for next available flight.
Replaced by new missed flight rule April 2021.
See https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/2038716-new-flat-tire-rule-flight-near-miss-free-reaccommodation.html
Not a published publicly viewable "rule", allows some missing flight to standby for next available flight.
Replaced by new missed flight rule April 2021.
See https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/2038716-new-flat-tire-rule-flight-near-miss-free-reaccommodation.html
Q. Is it true AA has a rule that if I miss a flight due to a mishap (accident, traffic, flat tire, slept in, etc.) they'll put me on the next flight without change fees and original and new flight fare difference?
Maybe. Kind of. Yes and no.
The so-called "Flat Tire Rule" is formally called Late Arrival Standby, and is extended to domestic passengers who show up at the airport within two hours of scheduled departure. They will be accommodated on a standby basis free of charges if they can depart the same day.
They may enhance their chances by paying $75 (waived for Executive Platinum) for
Domestic Same Day Flight Change if it's available.
What happens when bad traffic makes you miss your flight?
Linda Burbank, Special for USA TODAY 8:01 a.m. EDT April 2, 2014, in part:
The flat-tire rule is a longstanding practice of some airlines that allows passengers who miss flights due to circumstances outside their control to take the next available flight, providing space is available, with additional fees and fares waived.
...American has codified its discretionary procedure to a standard policy. Its late arrival standby policy, as it's now known, allows late passengers who arrive at the airport—not call—no more than two hours after their scheduled flights to wait on standby for the next available flight without fees or fare increases. Passengers who show up more than two hours late are on the hook for fare increases. The rule applies as long as the original flight was not the last scheduled flight of the day; the goodwill gesture doesn't roll over onto the next day.
See entire article at http://goo.gl/hGpKur
Linda Burbank, Special for USA TODAY 8:01 a.m. EDT April 2, 2014, in part:
The flat-tire rule is a longstanding practice of some airlines that allows passengers who miss flights due to circumstances outside their control to take the next available flight, providing space is available, with additional fees and fares waived.
...American has codified its discretionary procedure to a standard policy. Its late arrival standby policy, as it's now known, allows late passengers who arrive at the airport—not call—no more than two hours after their scheduled flights to wait on standby for the next available flight without fees or fare increases. Passengers who show up more than two hours late are on the hook for fare increases. The rule applies as long as the original flight was not the last scheduled flight of the day; the goodwill gesture doesn't roll over onto the next day.
See entire article at http://goo.gl/hGpKur
You're probably still going to have to take the consequences. You must check in an hour prior to scheduled departure for international flights, and at the gate 30 minutes prior to scheduled departures; if you're late, you're late.
Q. What happens if I'm on an international flight?
Standby is not allowed for international flights. If you can get International Same Day Flight Change you may be OK to destinations SDFC is allowed (on the same day, of course). You will generally pay the change fee associated with your original fare plus the difference between your original fare and the "walk up" fare charged passengers booking today.
(JonNYC and ThreeJulietTango say Canada, USVI and Puerto Rico flights are exceptions, as are any destinations you can buy SDFC on (no standby internationally). See post at TravelingBetter.com: http://goo.gl/S3CAq4 and post #89 for this and other exceptions, including itineraries with domestic and international sectors (the fare break is at the domestic to international connection).
Q. What if my flight was the last one of the day / there's no flight with an available seat that can accommodate me the same day?
You will generally pay the change fee associated with your original fare plus the difference between your original fare and the "walk up" fare charged passengers booking today.
Frankly, booking the last flight of the day entails some risk. If there are delays and IROPS, they often get later and later as the day progresses, and in the situation at issue here means no standby, likely significant costs to you and meal and lodging costs added to your expenses.
Q. Can I just use my mobile and call?
No; you're actually expected to show at the check-in counter within two hours. But, calling can prevent your itinerary from being cancelled because you were listed as a "no show" when you miss the flight, and if you have status it's possible you could have some arrangements made for you on the spot - less to do at the check-in counter.
Q. That's not fair! Can I do anything?
Check to see if your credit card (e.g. Citi AAdvantage Executive MasterCard, etc.) includes trip interruption insurance, or buy it in advance of your trip.
Or, if you don't want to purchase TCII "self-insure"; set aside some money for unforeseen circumstances knowing if you travel frequently you'll probably encounter travel disruption.
Thanks to JonNYC, Linda Burbank of USA Today and gemac for clarification.
ARCHIVE: FAQ: Late Arrival Standby ("Flat Tire Rule") application (master thread)
Jul 6, 2018, 10:44 am
#166
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AA does not have a "flat tire" policy (it was never a rule) and agents simply did this for passengers who could tell a good story. Now, wtih the new Sabre overlay, most front-line agents lack the authority to waive the fare rules other than in IRROPS and thus won't be able to help you even if they want to. With the passage of time, there will be fewer "native Sabre" agents left and even those must now document a reason.
So, it is pure luck and it won't help you if 99 of 100 others caught a break.
So, it is pure luck and it won't help you if 99 of 100 others caught a break.
Can you at least read up on this stuff a bit if you're going to opine so authoritatively?
You don't know what you're talking about, and you do this an awful lot, Often1, creating an awful lot of confusion (amongst those who may not know better.)
Jul 6, 2018, 12:57 pm
#167
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Wrong, very wrong, irrelevant and incorrect.
Can you at least read up on this stuff a bit if you're going to opine so authoritatively?
You don't know what you're talking about, and you do this an awful lot, Often1, creating an awful lot of confusion (amongst those who may not know better.)
Can you at least read up on this stuff a bit if you're going to opine so authoritatively?
You don't know what you're talking about, and you do this an awful lot, Often1, creating an awful lot of confusion (amongst those who may not know better.)
Jul 6, 2018, 1:06 pm
#168
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AA does not have a "flat tire" policy (it was never a rule) and agents simply did this for passengers who could tell a good story. Now, wtih the new Sabre overlay, most front-line agents lack the authority to waive the fare rules other than in IRROPS and thus won't be able to help you even if they want to. With the passage of time, there will be fewer "native Sabre" agents left and even those must now document a reason.
Jul 6, 2018, 1:39 pm
#169
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Jul 6, 2018, 1:50 pm
#170
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Jul 6, 2018, 10:34 pm
#172
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The Euro LCCs often will sell you “flat tire insurance” so that if you do miss your flight they’ll put you on the next one. I don’t think it’s that expensive ($10 or so?) but presumably if you don’t buy it and you miss the flight you’re SOL. Seems AA is leaving money on the table. Lol.
BA subscribes to the SOL philosophy FWIW.
BA subscribes to the SOL philosophy FWIW.
Jul 7, 2018, 6:23 am
#173
Join Date: Jun 2012
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Doesn't help if it's 3x weekly flight? Surprised lccs have that if they do mostly point to point, hard to reroute you thru hubs unlike the major airlines
Jul 7, 2018, 7:02 am
#174
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Jul 7, 2018, 10:24 am
#175
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And yet one further mythbust here, with regard to the bolded below:
Not only is this not true as I definitively demonstrated above, even in some cases where the two hour flat tire rule might not be applicable, a supervisor or manager can override and place a normally-ineligible pax in the standby list with a documentable reason.
BE inflexibility rules are more stringent than other domestic fare rules in that almost all other fares (and all those purchased in the US) are at least changeable for a fee up until the originally scheduled time of departure with a penalty, Other fares are, of course, even more flexible. BE fares are wholly inflexible and designed to be just that as a means of discouraging their use by busienss travelers (some of whom still use them).
AA does not have a "flat tire" policy (it was never a rule) and agents simply did this for passengers who could tell a good story. Now, wtih the new Sabre overlay, most front-line agents lack the authority to waive the fare rules other than in IRROPS and thus won't be able to help you even if they want to. With the passage of time, there will be fewer "native Sabre" agents left and even those must now document a reason.
So, it is pure luck and it won't help you if 99 of 100 others caught a break.
AA does not have a "flat tire" policy (it was never a rule) and agents simply did this for passengers who could tell a good story. Now, wtih the new Sabre overlay, most front-line agents lack the authority to waive the fare rules other than in IRROPS and thus won't be able to help you even if they want to. With the passage of time, there will be fewer "native Sabre" agents left and even those must now document a reason.
So, it is pure luck and it won't help you if 99 of 100 others caught a break.
Not only is this not true as I definitively demonstrated above, even in some cases where the two hour flat tire rule might not be applicable, a supervisor or manager can override and place a normally-ineligible pax in the standby list with a documentable reason.
Jul 8, 2018, 8:24 am
#176
Join Date: Nov 2007
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Interesting!
Last edited by dr88; Jul 8, 2018 at 8:32 am
Jul 8, 2018, 8:24 am
#177
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Hmmm. Isn’t what was the ‘flat tire rule’ (wasn’t it more like ‘flat tire latitude’ as opposed to an actual rule, anyway?) now called something like the ‘late arrival standby policy’?
Jul 8, 2018, 9:56 am
#178
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Jul 9, 2018, 7:38 am
#179
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So, not sure if there are currently 1, 2 or 3 versions of this (not to mention ability to get added by supervisor/manager,) but, obviously, the rumors of AA flat tire provision being dead (or having never existed for that matter!) are erroneous to say the least.
Aug 18, 2018, 7:12 pm
#180
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2 different members contacted me today to note successful use of flat tire rule in the last couple of days